Pheasants Design - For Life

It's too late for me to be married to someone for 50 years unless I get married tomorrow and live a really long time. But it's not too late to meet someone and be with them until the end of my life.

Either way, it's cool.

These birds will always be together, though. And now I've surrounded them with 5 coordinates and mapped it all in a 2D room.  

18th Century French Fabric - Pheasants, Fences, Flowers and Flourishes

This was a labor of love.

I've got a great (and secret ) source for images of antique fabrics. It has become an obsession, at times, to reproduce these patterns and turn them into repeats.

This one I ADORE! It took me over a period of a week to complete (not working on it full time, of course) and if I had to be doing something else, I couldn't wait to get back to it.

In time, I'll do another colorway, and create coordinates to go with it. For now, it is my smartphone wallpaper.

Paying Dues

Will I ever be an overnight success? How long does it take?

If it takes ten years as a graphic designer to really start making a living wage, then I've still got a couple of years to put in.

When I arrive, though, I'll have a great hardluck story. It will be filled tales with all the days and weeks I sat making beautiful repeats without any money coming in except for that which I made as a seamstress.

I'll tell about all the graphic design jobs I took that were just beyond my abilities, and then watched tutorials online to figure out how.

My bio will include how I paid my rent with the proceeds of the sale of my house, rather than put that money back into a new house. Determined, yet watching my savings diminish, I seldom gave up hope that one day, my designing skills would finally pay the bills.

Today is one of those days that will be included in my story, a day among so many that finds me creating, learning, striving ... dreaming.

And putting together designs that make my heart sing!

Working at What I Do

Designers of surface art and repeating patterns are kinda like writers; we sit in front of a computer for countless hours. We can't sell what we do until it's out of our heads and made manifest.

As a working graphic designer, I spent a large percentage of my time creating patterns for others. In the last month, I've designed patterns for Walmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, an African duvet manufacturer, an Australian bed linen manufacturer, a kitchen goods company, and a needlepoint company.

For all of this work I am uncredited, but consider myself lucky to be making a sort of living from what I LOVE doing. And I'm helping others get where they want to be.

My plan is to stay seated in front of this computer for countless more hours until I get where I want to be as a designer.

I love Art Nouveau and

18th Century French fabrics and

Mid Century florals.

When it comes to designing, no wonder I can't decide which style is "me."

Designing and Work

I want to work as a graphic designer and make money at it! Really, I do! 

I look for work at Elance almost daily, and do find jobs there. I've worked with and for some great clients who are passionate about their companies. It thrills me to please them and see my designs show up on their products.

And my work is represented by a very proactive design studio ... my work along with a couple hundred other designers.

Alas. As much as I want there to be enough work to go around, it seems there are dozens of designer vying for the same job, and *thousands* of designers hoping to sell their designs to just a handful of clients.

We soldier on. 

Meanwhile, as I hustle for work and complete the jobs I do manage to get, time for my own design work falls short. So, it is on the days when I am completely free, I design, design, design!

Here's a group I put together during a recent "free" time. 

Dear Universe, May someone out there see it, love it and buy it.  Such is the prayer of every graphic designer.

Developing a Style

From the inside of my design world, I can't see what my style is.

It seems to change from week to week, depending on what I've fallen in love with.

Perhaps it's the approach I take to each design that defines my style. 

But, whatever it is, this week I'm loving subtle colors and quiet vintage.